From there, the usual build began until it was an all out downpour lasting...just guess how long. Seriously, guess. A couple hours? Nope. A few hours? No way. Let me be specific here: 12 HOURS! I slept off and on through the night, waking up occasionally to wonder when the rain would let up. Around 8, what is usually a late wake up, I was awake for good, and Maddie and I realized we were condemned to another cramped afternoon in the tent.
Obviously there are worse things in the world, but this incessant rain really takes its toll. And this says nothing of my most immediate concern, which was for Matt. I hoped he was warm enough, yeah, but mostly I felt terrible he had hiked all this way to be rewarded with an awful rainy day. To make matters worse, with nature knocking loudly at my door, I was faced with a difficult decision of either braving the hypothermic conditions or using a wag bag a mere 1.5 feet from my girlfriend. She gave me all the support in the world, bless her heart, but I opted for the former, unwilling to breach that frontier yet. I figured the insidious flatulence that perpetually perfumed our tent was enough to have subjected either of us to. So when the urge to go finally willed me to put on my rain gear and step out for a minute, the sky looked painfully similar to that of our Evolution Lake disastrous weather day, with no end in sight. I went to check on Matt, and thankfully, he looked fast asleep in his cozy cacoon.
With hunger pangs beginning to claw at our insides, we soon became a little restless. Maddie and I kept each other company for a while, joking for the umpteenth time about the things we miss at home, and then we transitioned to reading, and back and forth it went for hours and hours. I made occasional forays outside to get us all water and snacks, but each time left me colder and wetter than the last. The last 4 hours began looking pretty grim, as a combination of condensation and insufficient seem-sealing on the tent (if you want a job done right...) led to the progressive dripping and subsequent soaking of us beneath the tarp. My pack towel came in handy, as I remained diligent, wiping our down sleeping bags every couple of minutes or so. For those who don't know, down, while luxurious and warm for it's weight when dry, is utterly useless when wet. With our last line of defense for warmth being threatened, we began discussing the very real possibility of hiking out with Matt the following day. Maddie was in the worst spirits yet, and nothing I could say could cheer her up, so she resigned herself to reading her kindle app to distract herself. And did I mention it was snowing on the mountains surrounding Rae Lakes?
Eventually, we had to face facts. Our bags were getting wet, our clothes were soaking wet, and it was nearly freezing outside, prime conditions for hypothermia. And this says nothing of Maddie's inflamed Achilles and my infected toe. I kept telling Maddie it would be okay and that if we wanted to finish, we could always wait out the storm by exiting with Matt at kearsarge pass, grab a motel room, and reenter when conditions improved. I tried to keep our optimism alive, but if I'm being honest, the next few hours really were us coming to terms with the potential premature end to our journey.
Just at the 12 hour mark, around 3:30pm, the rain finally died down. It was miraculous. I was the first out, surveying the scene and grabbing bits and pieces of information from other hikers. Apparently the ranger informed one of them that moisture was expected through Tuesday. This did not bode well for our schedule, as all of our stuff was still wet, but with a little sunshine poking its rays through the grey quilt above us, a spark of hope was ignited. Taking advantage of the respite, I set about cooking dinner for the three of us--coffee, ramen, and chilli for Matt and pasta for Maddie and me. It felt so liberating to be outside again!
We spent the next couple of hours drinking our wine and eating our dinner, ecstatic to be out of the tents. I could tell Matt felt a little unprepared for the weather, having not brought the right clothing, but he was a champ about it. I could also tell the isolation was already starting to affect him, as he had been cloistered by himself for almost 18 hours. Nevertheless we thoroughly enjoyed our libations, and after dinner Matt and I took a stroll to the ranger station. This ranger was no ranger Dave, let me tell you. My main bone to pick with him is that he didn't inform anyone of the possibility of weather when he demanded our permits the day before. When a storm this severe and abnormal is imminent, I would expect a courtesy heads up, but nope. Oh well. We made it through.
We repositioned our tents so we could more easily talk to Matt at night, and we braced ourselves for another spell in the tent. Despite being stuck inside all day, I was fairly tired, probably from the numerous ventures outside that left me numb and shivering. Tomorrow we will make decisions as we see fit, depending on the weather conditions. If it all ends tomorrow, I want to make clear that we will be back to finish where we left off. We already have talked to numerous jmt hikers who are calling it quits, opting not to risk hypothermia out here, so we would not be the only ones. But I have a feeling neither one of us is really willing to give up on our goal. We're not foolish, but we won't give up without a fight.
Crossing my numb fingers and toes that we get cooperative weather tomorrow! And if we have to postpone the end of our adventure, then so be it, and thanks for your support and hopefully you've enjoyed the blog so far! Goodnight everyone!
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